69th Year! 
69th Year!
The Whole Story of The Kinema Ballroom Dunfermline
(Includes the Cinemas of Dunfermline & Rosyth)
69th Year! |
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| Biogz 'B' Here you will find some short biographies (biogz) of solo artists whose surname commences with this letter or bands with names commencing with this letter (omitting any commonly used prefix such as 'The'). Click on the name below or scroll down the page at your leisure. Bad News
Jim Russell - vocals Paul Sinclair - keyboards Dunfermline based outfit. Tony Duffy & Chic Clark also played with Biocar and Tony Duffy with The Sapolas Thanks Tony!
Pete Ham - guitar, vocals Other members have included: Many connections they would have with The Beatles began in After signing a deal with The Beatles' Apple label their first single was the UK number four hit 'Come And Get It' which Paul McCartney wrote about financial wranglings inside the Apple organisation. Their first album 'Straight Up' in 1971 was co-produced by George Harrison while Tom Evans & Joey Molland played on John Lennon's timeless album 'Imagine' in that same year. Incredibly, Ham and Evans are often overlooked as songwriters because of the Beatles connections, though if ever their talents needed proving one needs look no further than the song 'Without You' which they wrote for the 'No Dice' album (often cited as their best) and became a massive international hit (and UK #1) for the late Harry Nilsson in 1972. It was subsequently reissued in 1976 and 1994 achieving positions 22 & 47 respectively. They moved from Apple to Warner Bros following their manager's successful negotiation of a multi-million pound deal. The band released 'ASS' & 'The Badfinger Album' soon thereafter. Things then began a downward spiral as the full extent of their inexplicable financial position became clear and personal tensions came to the fore. The next Warner's album 'Head First' was never released. In early 1975 Badfinger's contract with Warner Bros was terminated and on Wednesday 23rd April 1975, in despair at the turmoil within and around the band, Pete Ham hanged himself in his garage at home in London. A suicide note blamed the band's business manager Stan Polley. Evans & Molland rebuilt the band in 1978 with Tony Kaye from Yes (Keyboards) and Peter Clarke (the drummer from Stealers Wheel) resulting in two albums, 'Airwaves' and 'Say No More' in 1981. Soon thereafter Evans and Molland left following angry disagreements the same year, and for two years, two bands, both called Badfinger competed for attention. Unbelievably, tragedy was not finished with them as, on Saturday 19th November 1983 there was a heated argument on the telephone between Molland & Evans, reportedly about the division of publishing royalties for 'Without You'. Later that same day, Evans too hanged himself in his garden, eight years and seven months after Pete Ham! Molland, Gibbins and Jackson reformed to play some U.S. dates in August 1984 with some other bands to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the British Pop Invasion of America and in 1986, Molland and Gibbins toured once more until Gibbins left in 1990. Joey Molland still tours in the U.S. with the name ‘Joey Molland's Badfinger’ and has recorded solo albums. A Badfinger convention in Swansea in June 2006 included appearances by Jackson, Griffiths, and several surviving family members of Ham, Evans and Gibbins (who died at home in Florida in 2005). Jackson now tours with The Fortunes. When they played the ballroom on Sunday 15th February 1970 it was to promote their album 'Magic Christian Music'. I recommend this site for further reading: www.badfingerlibrary.com/
Aly Bain & Mike Whellans from www.mikewhellans.com Aly Bain (Dr. Aly Bain MBE) is Scotland's supreme traditional style fiddler. His playing is unique - driving, impassioned and pure - with vibrant, unmistakable tone that has earned him a following of ardent fans throughout the world. Born in Lerwick, Shetland in 1946 Aly began playing the fiddle at the age of eleven. In his early twenties, Aly headed to mainland Scotland. His dramatic playing, with great tone and technical ability brought early recognition as an outstanding musician of the folk music revival, and almost overnight, raised the level of expectation for music lovers throughout the country. To quote Billy Connolly of these early days, 'I had never heard the clarity of tone or the beauty. ...I had never heard the passion.' Aly embarked on a life of intensive playing, recording and travel that continues to this day. He helped establish the folk band Boys of the Lough with whom he toured extensively and recorded for many years. Simultaneously, Aly pursued a solo career in collaborative and television projects. In addition to his solo albums he has appeared on albums by 'Hue and Cry', Eddie Reader, Richard Thomson and 'Fish'. Although Aly's musical base is in Scotland his extensive travels have led to an appreciation and mastery of many kinds of music. He has applied this knowledge to the production of several networked television series bringing traditional music to a constantly widening audience, including the renowned series 'Down Home', which has now reached almost cult status Aly's collaboration with Norwegian composer Henning Sommero and the Scottish Ensemble saw the release of the widely acclaimed album 'Follow the Moonstone'. His most recent collaboration with Swedish multi-instrumentalist Ale Moller, created the album 'Fully Rigged'- a celebration of shared Nordic heritage. Aly has received many honours for his services to music, including four Doctorates and an M.B.E., and numerous Honorary Citizenships in the USA. He continues to be an ambassador for Scotland abroad and a powerful advocate for traditional music. His teaming up, star collision, with brilliant accordionist/composer Phil Cunningham has added yet another dimension of appreciation for audiences everywhere. They have toured and recorded together since 1988 and to date they have recorded four albums, released on Aly's own record label Whirlie Records. Info courtesy of: www.philandaly.com Additionally, in the early 1970s, Aly worked for about three years in a duo with amazing flat-pick guitarist Mike Whellans who played the ballroom thirteen times between 1969 & 1978.
Kenny Ball born 22nd May 1930 in Ilford, Essex. Kenny Ball and his band had the most successful and longest lasting chart success of the Trad groups that came to the fore during the early 1960s. His success was probably due to a number of factors including his own skilful trumpet playing and a judicious choice of material. Although the band received criticism from elitist jazz 'purists' for venturing too far from the boundaries (whatever they are) of traditional jazz, Kenny helped to maintain the genre's high profile throughout the 1960s. Even after the end of their chart days, the band continued to be popular through radio, television and live appearances. Apart from one short period, during which Kenny temporarily lost his 'lip' and found difficulty playing his trumpet well, the band continued to thrive throughout the following decades. He became a very important part of the 'Trad' concert party involving his former rivals, Chris Barber and Acker Bilk along with the Georges - Melly and Chisholm. Kenny Ball's list of hits include many on which he sang as well as played. These include his first chart success 'Samantha' and his last chart success 'When I'm 64'. Kenny is now well over 64, but is still loved by the many traditional jazz fans that he enlisted during its era of greatest popularity. Info courtesy of: www.45-rpm.org.uk
Keren Woodward - vocals Jacquie O’Sullivan - vocals Bananarama formed and based in London and became the most successful British girl-group in pop history. Their name was an amalgam of the popular children's television program, ‘The Banana Splits’ and ‘Pyjamarama’ the number 10 UK chart hit by Roxy Music. Friends Keren Woodward and Sarah Dallin joined with fashion college student Siobhan Fahey in 1981. Ex Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook, produced their first single, ‘Aie A Mwana’ and a mutually fruitful collaboration followed when the group provided backing vocals for the Fun Boy Three on the single ‘It Ain't What You Do, It's the Way You Do It’. Later The Fun Boy Three did similar duty on ‘He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'. Between 82 and 93 their eleven-year UK chart lifespan would year produce 27 hits including ten top 10s (some aided by Stock, Aitken & Waterman) though without a number 1. Siobhan’s marriage to Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics in 1987 just preceded her departure in 1988 and Jacquie O’Sullivan replaced her until 1991 when she left after the release of the Pop Life album produced by Youth (of 'Killing Joke'). The remaining duo produced two more albums then called it a day.
Robert Plant - Vocals Formed in West Bromwich, Birmingham in 1966 and featured several different line-ups. The final one with John Bonham was perhaps the most successful though recording contracts for their blues and soul mix evaded them. Interestingly Noddy Holder of Slade was their roadie! In 1968 Plant left to join Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones to form Led Zeppelin. John Bonham was recruited some months later. Band of Joy reformed in 1977 with original members Lockey & Gammond and split again in 1983 after two albums.
American band led by Johnny Johnson who subsequently called themselves Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon. They had 2 minor hits in 1969 with "You" and "Let's Hang On" and more success in the early 70s with "Blame It On The Pony Express" and "Sweet Inspiration", but this was their finest moment, and the song was later covered by Dexy’s Midnight Runners on the b side of their #1 hit "Geno". Info courtesy of: iwasateenagechartfreak.com
British jazz trombonist celebrated his 50th year as a bandleader in 1999. Inspired by the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band, Chris formed his first Barber New Orleans Band in 1949 at the age of nineteen. In 1953, along with Monty Sunshine and Lonnie Donegan, he joined forces with Ken Colyer. Then, with the replacement of Colyer by Pat Halcox, Ken Colyer's Jazzmen became Chris Barber's Jazz Band in 1954 and has been one of Europe's most successful traditional jazz bands ever since. Over the years, Chris Barber's Jazz Band evolved into the Jazz and Blues Band, a rich eight-piece group, blending brass, reeds, and electric guitar into a unique and unmistakable mix of blues and jazz. And despite being 'on the slide' since 1949, having performed over 10,000 concerts and made thousands of recordings, the Jazz & Blues Band keeps marching on, right into the 21st century. At the end of 2001 Chris extended his band with three more musicians into The BIG Band. Info courtesy of: www.chrisbarber.net
Edinburgh-based (Leith-bred), singer and comedian Bill Barclay has learned his trade over years of hard and, for audiences world-wide, extremely entertaining work. Bill is second-to-none with the comic's stock-in-trade, "one-liner", and has compered many events drawing upon his immense fund of "cracks" as well as taking the stage in his own right to produce side-splitting responses world-wide. During an illustrious career spanning more than 30 years, Bill Barclay has toured in more than fifteen countries around the world including ... Abu Dhabi America Ascension Island Bahrain Canada Dubai Falkland Islands Germany Gibraltar Guernsey Hong Kong Jersey Kuwait Oman Quatar Saudi Arabia and, he even had them rolling in the aisles in Iraq! In the 1970s Bill Barclay toured with the big boys of rock. In 1974 he supported Rod Stewart on his British tour. That was followed by a one-night stand in Edinburgh's 3 000-seat Playhouse Theatre supporting Elton John and a Glasgow Apollo gig with Bill Haley. Then then there were three nights in London's Theatre Royal with Dusty Springfield. He has taken the stage in front of audiences exceeding 50,000 in three major rock festivals, at Reading, White City and Lincoln. Of course, in addition to the jet-setting, Bill Barclay is very well-known back home here in Scotland where he has appeared in countless golf-clubs, smokers, rugby clubs, bowling clubs, folk clubs, concerts, and festivals, and at special dinner functions for every conceivable organisation. Bill's acting roles on various UK television channels have seen him appearing in plays and soap operas including ... Sense Of Freedom; Down Where The Buffalo Roam; Shoot For The Sun; Gunfight At The Joey Kaye Corral; Down Among The Big Boys (as the police sergeant); Taking Over The Asylum (award winning BBC TV Scotland series) Bill can be regularly seen in his sergeant's uniform popping up in Taggart (Scottish Television) and Rab C. Nesbitt (BBC TV Scotland). Over the years he has played various characters in Take The High Road (Scottish Television), in which he has now a regular part as the local bobby. For the past 20 years Bill has presented his own radio show on Edinburgh's premier commercial radio station, Radio Forth. He is currently the lunchtime show presenter on Forth's Max AM station from1200 - 1400 Monday to Saturday. Info courtesy of: www.stoneyport.demon.co.uk
Stewart (Wooly) Wolstenholme – keyboards & vocals Kevin McAlea - keyboards Barclay James Harvest formed in Saddleworth (now in Oldham, Greater Manchester) from two other bands: 'Heart and Soul and The Wickeds' & 'The Keepers' (who had been 'The Sorcerers) in the Summer of 1967. Members of each outfit came together in 1966 and were initially known as 'The Blues Keeepers' then they turned professional, changed their name & signed to Harvest Records who specialised in prog rock & it’s derivatives. They released three singles, one E.P. and ten UK chart albums and are hugely popular in Germany. In 1971 they supported Alexis Korner at the ballroom while they were supported by 'The Change' when they returned in 1972. Ghoulz (2006) & John Warburg
Ricky Barnes (& His Rock 'N' Roll Group) Ricky Barnes was a Scottish tenor saxophonist who featured in several dance bands in Glasgow. He was a member of 'The Beavers' & 'The Wee Band' (Stevie O'Neill - vocals, George Scott Henderson - piano, Jimmy Bell - bass & Jackie Holden - drums). 'Ricky Barnes All Stars' are credited with being Scotland's first ever rock 'n' roll group and I do not yet know if this name was adopted before or after their ballroom appearance as 'Ricky Barnes & His Rock 'N' Roll Group' but it was around that time frame. He would later form 'The Beat Brothers' (Ricky Barnes - saxophone, Roy Young - organ, Colin Milander - guitar and Johnny Watson - drums). They are credited as playing in support of Tony Sheridan on some recordings made in Hamburg in 1962/3 including 'What'd I Say', 'Ya Ya' & 'Let's Dance'.
Duke D'Mond (aka Richard Palmer) - vocals Leslie 'Butch' Baker guitar, vocals The Barron Knights began in Leighton Buzzard on October 5th 1960 as a fairly typical rock and roll group. Unlike many of their contemporaries they have remained one of the most stable groups of personnel in the history of pop music. However, the group did not remain a conventional beat group for long. After spending time as a support act, often accompanying groups with less musical talent than their own, they gradually drifted into comedy. They became past masters of imitation producing believable impersonations of the most popular groups of the time and this rapidly became the thrust of their entire stage act. Consequently they broke away from their rock and roll beginnings and became regarded as all-round family entertainment. Although the Barron Knights undoubtedly had their own style and produced regular 'beat group' recordings in their own right, it was their production of humorous parodies that brought them the greatest success. In fact, their catalogue of recordings, although impressive, does not reflect their success as stage entertainers. By adapting their act to each new wave of emerging performers they were able to survive longer than their more conventional contemporaries, and even today can still be regularly found in cabaret or performing a seaside summer season. Info courtesy of: www.45-rpm.org.uk Now a four-piece, Peter Langford is the only original member. They were originally called 'The Knights of the Round Table'.
Barty's Bow were formed in Dundee in 1966 by celebrated mandolinist and fiddler Alan Barty. Later he played in a number of Tayside groups such as The Inn Folk and appeared on television and radio and toured with acts such as Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy. He recorded a solo LP 'Barty's Bow' in 1980 (Kettle Records KOP4). Info courtesy of: www.nigelgatherer.com
Derek Longmuir - drums Eric Faulkner - guitar Also: The Bay City Rollers played the ballroom 12 times! They were an Edinburgh pop/rock band that began to take shape, in the mid sixties, when they were known as The Saxons. Playing local gigs in and around the Edinburgh area, they had a large turnover of members before drummer Derek Longmuir and his bass-playing brother Alan teamed up with singer Nobby Clarke and guitarist John Devine. Wanting to change their name to something that sounded more "American", their new manager (Tam Paton) decided to stick a pin in a map of the United States to help them choose a new handle. The first attempt landed in Arkansas, but wanting something sexier, the next nearest place that appealed to them was Bay City, Michigan. The suffix "Rollers" was added and the new name was complete. A local musician wannabe with The Crusaders, Tam Paton, was able to get them gigs in the Edinburgh area through his contacts & fell into the position of their manager. The band was getting a lot of good exposure in their native Scotland (including a Sunday night residency at Edinburgh's 'Top Storey') and further into northern England. As word spread, their reputation grew, and Dick Leahy, boss of Bell Records, was invited by Paton to see the band in action (while he was fogbound at Glasgow Airport). Leahy later admitted, it was the reaction of the fans that impressed him, as the sheer hysteria meant he couldn’t hear a thing the band was playing. He signed them to his Bell label without hearing them play a note. Jonathan King was brought in to produce the group’s first single, a cover of the 60s Gentrys' hit 'Keep On Dancing', which climbed to #9 on the UK chart in late 1971. Despite the success of their first attempt, the next three releases were all duds. "Manana", "We Can Make Music" and "Saturday Night" all failed to put the Rollers back on the chart. By now, the members were becoming discouraged and in June 1972, guitarist Eric Faulkner was added to the line-up. In January 1973, singer Leslie McKeown and guitarist Stuart Wood replaced Clarke and Devine, stabilizing the quintet's line-up. Paton sent out postcard photos of the band to fan clubs and pop magazines in a bid for publicity, and a striking change of image occurred when the band adopted the tartan patterns of their country, added to shirts and half-mast trousers and scarves. The Rollers had one last shot at the big time as Bell allowed them one more single before their contract expired. In February 1974, a song called "Remember" was released and climbed to #6 on the U.K. charts and stayed there for a 3 month run. The next time out, the follow-up was the powerful "Shang-A-Lang", an early Rollers anthem, and it made it to #2 in the U.K. It’s at this time that they played their 12th and last Kinema Ballroom show on Saturday 25th May 1974. With more radio play, The Bay City Rollers were introduced to the rest of the country. They were now hot, photogenic, accessible, and well marketed. Success this time had come with the all-important follow-up hit. Striking while the iron was hot, "Summerlove Sensation" was issued and peaked at #3 in July '74. October saw the release of "All Of Me Loves All Of You", which climbed to #4 in the U.K. It was the band's 4th top ten hit in a little over 7 months. Around this time cracks began to appear in the Roller veneer. McKeown killed an elderly pedestrian in his car (a yellow Mustang I think) and was charged with firing an air-rifle at a persistent fan, while both Longmuir & Faulkner allegedly attempted suicide. By now the group had struck a chord with young teenagers and pre-pubescent fans in search of pin-up pop stars. Merchandise was flying off of the shelves, and their faces were featured on teenaged magazine covers and TV shows. Privately however, the Rollers were none too happy. Their last single was branded by the band itself as "rubbish teeny fodder", and they had wanted the B side, "The Bump" as the A side. The Bump was a dance craze doing the rounds at that time. It also came to light around this time that it wasn't just the Rollers that sang and played on their records. This was true, but mainly because of the time involved hiring studios and the expense, it was cheaper and more efficient to hire session men, with a bit of the Rollers dubbed in here and there. In light of this, the band ditched their producers, Martin & Coulter and hooked up with Phil Wainman. This was a huge gamble as Martin & Coulter had, as some perceived "made the Rollers" and wrote all four of their 1974 hits. Also at this time, the debut album "Rollin’" was released, which included the first 3 hits of '74 along with some other Martin/Coulter songs. Though rushed and not entirely to the satisfaction of the band, Rollin’ went to number one and stayed on the album chart over a year. By spring of 1975, the Rollers were the hottest act in Britain, and announced their next single, a cover of the Four Season’s "Bye Bye Baby". Eliminating studio sessions ensured that from now on, every bit of music would be the Rollers and not outside session men. The single climbed to #1 in March '75 and stayed an incredible 6 weeks at the top, selling an astonishing one million copies. Amid frenzied scenes, sell-out tours, and fan mania not seen since the Beatles heyday, the press dubbed it "Rollermania". England was awash with tartan, and the press couldn’t get enough of them. Sadly, the downside of all this fervour caused mayhem and a trail of destruction. Concerts were often stopped or cancelled altogether because of fan hysteria. A security man was killed as he suffered a heart attack while trying to control crowds. The follow-up single, "Give A Little Love" in July '75 reached #1 for 3 weeks, as did the second album "Once Upon A Star". It seemed like the band couldn’t do any wrong as they brought Britain to a standstill. But by this time, the Rollers were trying to grow up, personally, spiritually and artistically. They ended 1975 with the much harder "Money Honey" and saw it climb to #3 in November. Their next objective was to have a hit record in The United States. The Rollers were introduced to America on "Saturday Night Live", singing their failed '73 single "Saturday Night". The tune climbed the U.S. chart in late '75 and hit the #1 spot in January '76. The Rollers were on top of the world. The scenes previously witnessed by UK fans were now repeated in the States and Canada, thanks to an even more exhausting schedule of promotions, recording, TV, and magazines. They repeated their success in Australia, as they continued their quest for world domination. April saw the single "Love Me Like I Love You" reach #4 as did their cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Wanna Be With You" in October '76. It would be their last ever UK top 10 hit. The albums "Wouldn’t You Like It?" and "Dedication" still made the top 10, but sales started to decline. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was just discovering The Bay City Rollers. Scenes witnessed in Japan were more hysterical than both the UK and USA put together. While they were off touring, things were changing back home, leading to the end of "Rollermania". A combination of young fans growing up, and lack of exposure were taking their toll. 1977 was the year of "Punk" and "New Wave" music and the Rollers light sound were old hat. "It’s A Game" in May '77 became the first Rollers hit to miss the top 10, reaching #16. Then followed their swansong, "You Made Me Believe In Magic", which only reached #34 in August of '77. It was their last ever UK hit. One final album, also called "It’s A Game", also missed the top 10 and it was all over chartwise. The magic was gone. The Rollers eventually produced and wrote more of their own songs. Some of their stuff from late '77 onwards was a lot more mature and adult-orientated, but Britain was no longer interested. (McKeown was sacked in 1978 as he was allegedly hated by the rest of the band, only to return & leave later). Later albums, "Voxx", "Strangers on the Wind", "Elevator" and "Ricochet" sold well elsewhere in the world. Success lasted a little longer in the U.S. & Japan, but the constant life together caused irritations within the group, which in turn led to fighting and accusations. The band began to fragment. In hindsight, Tam Paton was out of his depth, and Bell/Arista should have managed the group better, or at least arranged a business approach to management. The band earned tens of millions and reports say that at least 100 million albums were sold, but the Rollers were not rich men. Each accused the other of stealing, and the in fighting exploded with an on stage brawl during a Japanese concert. The members even went to court over the rights to the name of the group, when two splinter groups, led by Les and Eric were trying to use it. Even though they were ridiculed and mocked by more serious musicians, the Bay City Rollers had an amazing career. In 2001, 30 years after their first taste of success, the band members were trying to resolve their differences in order to get back the millions they feel they are owed in royalties. They claimed that the money lies with Arista & various holding companies. They recorded an album together in 2000 and were trying to set up a tour. Info courtesy of: www.classicbands.com Les McKeown had previously been in an outfit called 'Threshold'. Various members have had drink & drugs accusations including their manager Tam Paton who has faced charges over possession of large quantities of cannabis and was recently burgled.
Davey Anderson - guitar When a 15 year old David Paton saw an advertisement in the Evening News which said "Edinburgh's top band require lead guitarist", his sister phoned up and arranged an audition. Thanks partly to some flashy equipment David borrowed from his sister's boyfriend and more so to David's talent, he got the gig and became the lead guitarist for The Beachcombers! The band was hugely popular in Scotland and played on a regular basis there and throughout Northern England. When The Beachcombers heard that CBS Records were holding auditions for new talent at The Marquee Club in London, the band got rolling. It was a long drive from Edinburgh, but they made it and definitely found the trip to be worth the effort. Not only did the band get a recording contract with CBS Records, but also got a residency at The Marquee Club! Once they signed the contract, the band changed their name to 'The Boots' (mid 1968) because another band called The Beachcombers were already recording artists. David and the band packed their bags and moved permanently down to London. Things started well with CBS and on June 14, 1968 the band released its first single, The Animal in Me. Session musicians were used for the backing track and interestingly, MUD were in the studio using the same session musicians for a song called Up the Airy Mountain. Next the band recorded Even the Bad Times are Good without sessions musicians. The Boots really liked this song and hoped for a good reaction. However, The Tremolos heard the song and wanted it. So it was given to them because they were already established and became a big hit for them. It ended up on the b-side of The Animal in Me. While things seemed to start well when The Animal in Me was recorded, things didn't take off. Who knows what might have been if Even the Bad Times are Good had been given to The Boots instead of The Tremolos? The band's second single, Keep Your Lovelight Burning, was released later in 1968 but failed to burn up the charts. When the work started to dry up in London, the band moved back to Edinburgh. Mike (the singer) left the band and the rest split soon after. David Paton would go on to play with The Bay City Rollers, Pilot and The Alan Parsons Project. Info courtesy of: www.davidpaton.com
Dave Wakeling - vocals, guitar 1980s anti-Thatcher politics began to feature in their choice of benefit appearances and lyrical content. Of their five albums, three went top ten in the UK. A change in tempo to a more relaxed traditional style reduced their appeal with the record buying public and they decided to call it a day in late 1982 early 1983. Wakeling and Ranking Roger formed 'General Public' and Cox and Steele joined Roland Gift to form Fine Young Cannibals. They were undoubtedly one of the earliest and most influential bands of the 70/80 ska revival.
Disco/House band - released 'Don't Hold Back on Love' 1990 - 12" vinyl released as 4 versions: Original Mix, Original Dub Mix, Absolute Dub Mix (instrumental) & Absolute Club Mix.
Davie Lennox - vocals Formed in 1962, a Glasgow R'n'B band managed by Joe Gaffney, they were sometimes referred to as The Scottish Beatles in their early days, although when they signed to Decca in 1965, they moved down to London. In their early days their live repertoire was drawn from originals, black America and less well known Rolling Stones cuts. They had a mod image and built up a very loyal audience around Glasgow before moving South. 1967 saw a label change to CBS and a new line-up. In their later days they were managed by Kenneth Pitt who also looked after David Bowie's affairs. At Pitt's suggestion they recorded some of Bowie's songs:- 'Silver Treetop School For Boys', 'Everything Is You' and 'When I'm Five'. They had a residency at London's legendary Marquee, appeared on TV show Ready, Steady, Go with the Who and once, during a lunchtime show in June 1965 in George Square, the teenage audience was whipped into such a frenzy a riot ensued, followed by accusations that it was somehow staged. After attempting three songs, they had to leave the stage as mounted Police rescued some distressed fans from potential crushing injuries while the band escaped through the city chambers. The commotion was widely reported across the Scottish press. Poor record company representation from Decca and the fact that huge record sales (50,000 in a month) went unrecorded outside of the only two shops in Scotland whose sales were counted, contributed to their demise. A planned live album from Glasgow never emerged either. By 1969 the band were in terminal decline and when their van was stolen with all their equipment in it they packed it in. Eddie Campbell was later in Tear Gas and Jeff Allen went on to play for Dr. K's Blues Band and then East Of Eden (he also did a John Peel session with Blue). Lennox was a member of The Joe O'Donnell Band in 1978. In the late 1960's and early 1970s Alan Mair ran a boutique in Kensington market selling hand made clothes and especially shoes & boots. Everybody bought them. Platforms, stacked heels, fancy patterns and colours. Freddie Mercury was a sales assistant until Queen started to break big. In the late '70's early '80s Alan played in the magnificent 'Only Ones' - of 'Another girl Another planet' fame etc. The band released seven singles in their career. 'Everybody's Talking 'Bout My Baby' / 'Mr. Disappointed' (1965) In 2005 they released a 'Best-Of' CD and calls for live performances soon followed. They then reformed and played The Barrowland Ballroom Glasgow on December 23rd after more than thirty years! A DVD of the performance is now available. Most info from: www.rockingscots.co.uk & The Evening Times Online
The Jeff Beck Group Also: Info from: rant58.tripod.com When they played at the ballroom on Sunday 21st November 1971, I have it on good authority that it was without Ron Wood and that they may have appeared temporarily as 'The Jeff Beck Trio'. Thanks Ken.
All Beggar's Opera images courtesy of Virginia Scott Martin Griffiths - vocals & percussion Highly regarded early keyboard driven seventies progressive rock band from Glasgow whose name is derived from the 1728 play by English poet John Gay. They formed in 1969 and released a total of eight studio albums - "Act one" (1970), "Waters of Change" (1971), "Pathfinder" (1971), "Get your dog off me" (1973), "Saggittary" (1974), "Beggar's Can’t Be Choosers" (1979), "Lifeline" (1980) & "The Final Curtain" (1996) none of which charted in the UK. There were also four singles: Sarabande / Think (1970), Hobo / Pathfinder (1972), Two Timing Woman / Lady Hell Of Fire (1973) & Classical Gas / Sweet Blossomed Woman (1974), but again without chart appearance. Martin Griffiths left in 1972 and they split in 1974, reformed and split again in 1980 when the record buying public had turned its back on 'prog rock'. Ricky Gardiner went on to play guitar on David Bowie's massively influential album 'Low' and on Iggy Pop's album 'Lust For Life' when he wrote 'The Passenger' (on a Stratocaster whose serial No lies between those on Jimi Hendrix's two favourite guitars!). I'm most grateful to Virginia Scott for all the images above. Official site: www.beggarsopera.co.uk
Glasgow band 'The Beings' had bassist Dougie Thomson in their line-up from August 1969 till September 1971 when he joined 'The Alan Bown Set', replacing Alan Bown. He would later be a member of the classic 'Supertramp' line-up from 1973 to 1988.
Paddie BellPaddie was a founder member of 'The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell', (Ronnie Brown, Roy Williamson & Bill Smith) and together they recorded albums in 1964 and 1965 called 'The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell' and 'The Promise of The Day'. They were were formed from a group of musicians who played in the Waverley Bar, in St Mary's Street Edinburgh in 1962. In 1965, Paddie left the group to become a mother, but she continued recording as a solo artist. In 1965 she recorded the album 'Herself' accompanied by Martin Carthy, and in 1968 she recorded 'I know where I'm going' with Finbar and Eddie Furey. After a twenty year battle with alcohol & depression, Paddie returned to the Edinburgh folk scene in the 1990s with her own celebrated Festival show. She was a great supporter and regular attendant of Edinburgh Folk Club and appeared frequently at Festival Folk at the Oak during the Festival. In 1993 she released the solo album "The Dawn of a Brand New Day" and this was followed by 2 more albums in 1997 and 1998 titled "Make me Want to Stay" and "An Irish Kiss".
Sixties Danish pop idol held in high esteem in his homeland for being the first to use Danish translated versions of British & American international hit singles, such as McCartney's 'Ob La Di Ob La Da' (a hit for Scottish group Marmalade) & the Kinks hit 'A Well Respected Man' etc. Though his musical career commenced in 1962 in a variety of bands, it wasn't until he joined 'Les Rivals' in 1964 and had a hit 'Move On' that fame struck. He was once imprisoned following an admission (during a live radio interview) of using cannabis.
Cliff Bennet & The Rebel Rousers Cliff Bennett (born in Slough on June 4th 1940) was one of the most under-rated R&B singers of his generation. His group, the Rebel Rousers, evolved during 1958 and 1959 taking their name from a Duane Eddy hit of the time. The band spent their first year or two as amateurs and the original, fully professional, line-up consisted of Bennett, Mick King, Frank Allen, Sid Phillips and Ricky Winters. Their first opportunity to record was in 1961 at Joe Meek's famous Holloway Road Studio. Although their records deserved a better fate, they remained uncharted and now have the status of collector's items. With no sign of a hit in sight, Frank Allen took the opportunity to join the Searchers who needed a replacement for Tony Jackson. However, Allen's place was soon filled by Bobby Thompson who abandoned his Liverpool group 'The Dominoes' shortly after their break from their lead singer 'King Size Taylor'. The band had to remain content with an arduous touring schedule which took full advantage of the German clubs in the Hamburg area. Their lack of hits went on until they secured the management of Brian Epstein and a little of the Beatles magic touch came their way. 'One Way Love', at last brought some of the atmosphere of their successful stage act to vinyl, but none of its immediate follow-ups did much at all. However, their final hit was the magnificent 'Got To Get You Into My Life' which was produced by Paul McCartney. No further chart entries followed, but the band kept trying, even changing its name to the more contemporary, 'Cliff Bennett Band'. By this time several of the original members had fallen away and the group then included Mick Green and Frank Farley who had previously been members of the late Johnny Kidd's 'Pirates'. Cliff pressed on into the 1970s with new ideas, initially with the group, 'Toe Fat'. Sadly, Cliff was not able to find his way back to chart success and finally went into retirement. However, he has occasionally taken time out from his proper job to entertain us again on 1960s revivalist and nostalgia concerts. Info courtesy of: www.45-rpm.org.uk
Born David Grundy on February 6th 1941 in Sheffield, Yorkshire. Dave Berry and the Cruisers were in the vanguard of the British R&B movement, but Dave gradually drifted into recording rather sentimental ballads as his chart career progressed. He had an exceptionally innovative stage act for the time- dressed all in black, even with Alvin Stardust style gloves- writhing within the microphone cable. David Holgate Grundy was an ardent follower of American rock and roll, and the music that he and his backing group, The Cruisers, played at their gigs in and around Sheffield reflected it. Dave even changed his surname to one of the artists he most admired, and when given the chance to record he chose a number from the repertoire of this same hero. Due to Pye deciding to reissue the original 'Memphis Tennessee', Dave found himself competing with his American namesake. Doubtless, the availability of Chuck's version prevented the Cruisers from climbing higher than #19 - but it was sufficient for Dave Berry to have established a niche. The next two releases didn't manage the top twenty at all, but did well enough to keep the group in contention with other British R&B acts like the Rolling Stones. However, by the third release the Cruisers had been dropped from the record credits- their place taken by session musicians. Nevertheless, the Cruisers were to serve Berry well for many years as part of his stage act. Dave Berry's most original offering probably came from his fourth release, 'The Crying Game'- a ballad written by a former school teacher who had turned to 'Tin Pan Alley', Geoff Stevens. Probably because of this record's success, Dave Berry then concentrated on ballads that were a good deal less bluesy than the material that he'd started out with. Nevertheless, the new formula suited his style and was sufficiently commercial to keep the Yorkshireman in hits until the middle of 1966- though none did anything on the other side of the Atlantic. The flow of singles kept up until 1970, but by this time it was Dave's unusual stage act that was sustaining his musical career. He was never able to re-establish himself as a significant recording artist again and he and his Cruisers had to submit to the nostalgia scene. Info courtesy of: www.45-rpm.org.uk
Mike Berry & The Outlaws / The Innocents Outlaws: Later: The Innocents: Mike Berry was born Michael Bourne on September 24th 1942 in Northampton and as far as most record buyers were concerned Mike Berry burst on to the scene with his "Tribute To Buddy Holly" in 1961. Fans of the legendary Texan rock and roller loved and hated the record in equal measure. There is no doubt now that the song was very much a tribute because Mike and his producer, Joe Meek were Buddy Holly fanatics, but many of the late singer's followers thought it was just exploiting Buddy's name for profit. It wasn't a unique tribute; there had been the rather mawkish 'Three Stars' from Tommy Dee which had been a chart hit in the UK for Ruby Wright in 1959. Incidentally, a version was also recorded by Eddie Cochran- though, ironically, few people heard it until after Eddie's own death a few months later. 'Tribute To Buddy Holly' was a good deal closer to the style adopted by Holly on his early singles and featured a prominent drum driven rhythm not dissimilar to that on 'Peggy Sue'. Joe Meek had tried out Mike Berry a few weeks earlier with his version of the Shirelles' 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' - a song with lyrics that seem quite unsuitable for a male singer to tackle. Mike was backed by the Outlaws, a band already recorded by Meek as instrumentalists, so Berry's first two singles were not the band's first outing on record. The same musicians regularly did sessions at Meek's Holloway Road studio where they were used to back other singers - Freddie Starr, Glenda Collins and John Leyton among others. Billy Kuy, Reg Hawkins, Chas Hodges and Bobby Graham were the original 'Outlaws', but as personnel changes took place by 1964 they had evolved to Ken Lundgren, Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple & Rainbow), Chas Hodges (who became half of Chas & Dave), and Mike Underwood. They had originally called themselves the Stormers, but were renamed by Meek who thought it a good idea to promote them with a 'Wild West' image- the group dressed accordingly. Joe also thought of the name Mike Berry because it had closer 'Buddy Holly' connotations than the name previously adopted by the artist, 'Kenny Lord'. Mike's third release featured the Outlaws, but actually credited 'The Admirals'- an incident that infuriated Meek allegedly caused by a misheard telephone conversation. Almost all Mike's records were unashamedly trying to fit the Buddy Holly mould; these included his most successful, 'Don't You Think It's Time' which, although a product of songwriter Geoff Goddard and Meek magic, could easily have come from the Holly catalogue itself. Mike Berry split from Meek as the sixties progressed and signed with Robert Stigwood who was trying to grow the music side of his business. Sadly for Mike this did not improve his record sales. Despite trying very hard for the rest of the decade and beyond he had to remain content with the minor hits that he'd achieved through the imaginative efforts of Meek and the Outlaws. He had much more success with acting and became a familiar face on TV in series like 'Are You Being Served?'. However, with the help of his old mate and most regular 'Outlaw', Chas. Hodges, Mike broke the charts again with a couple more singles in the early 1980s- the best of these was 'The Sunshine Of Your Smile' which reached an unexpected #9 in August1980. Info courtesy of: www.45-rpm.org.uk By 1963/64 Mike was singing with 'The Innocents' who appeared on 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' TV show (hosted by Brian Mathew) in 1964. 'The Innocents' were originally called 'Bobby Angelo & The Tuxedos'. Dave Brown & Colin Giffin from 'The Innocents' would later form the British psychedelic-pop group 'The End'.
Stuart Adamson - guitar, vocals Later: If Dunfermline has a music hero it must surely be Stuart Adamson. He loved the town, its people and its football Club. Stuart Adamson formed Big Country with Bruce Watson (guitar) from ‘Delinx’ in the autumn of 1981 after leaving The Skids (also based in Dunfermline). The original line-up included; brothers Pete Wishart (ex Subject) and Alan Wishart and Clive Parker (ex 'Athletico Spizz 80'). This original configuration was short lived however and the last straw may well have been their ousting from the support slot of an Alice Cooper UK tour after only two shows in 1982. The formidable rhythm section of bassist Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki soon replaced the Wisharts and Parker. (Pete Wishart would go on to play with ‘Runrig’ in 1984 and eventually become a Member of Parliament with The Scottish National Party). Big Country signed to Mercury-Phonogram & issued its debut single, ‘Harvest Home’ in September 1982. This was followed in 1983 by ‘Fields of Fire’ (UK No 10) & ‘In A Big Country’ before the release of their debut Album ‘The Crossing’ in that same year. Their early exposure included several support dates on the Jam's farewell tour. They quickly built on a fanatical body of home support, which rapidly spread country and worldwide as they became well known for passionate live performance and a unique guitar sound reminiscent of the Scottish bagpipe. ‘The Crossing’ sold over 3 million, reached a UK No.3 placing, attracted 2 Grammy nominations & achieved platinum status in the UK (gold in America) while success continued with two further top ten singles, ‘Chance’ & ‘Wonderland’. The second album ‘Steeltown’ entered the UK chart at No.1 and garnered fine reviews while another clutch of singles in 84/5 charted but remained outside the magic top ten. They also appeared at Live Aid in 1985. Their only ballroom appearance and first home gig since 1982 was on Friday 18th December 1987. The gig was sold-out to the 1000 strong crowd who each paid £7 for their tickets. (Technically speaking they never played the Kinema because the venue was called 'Night Magic' by then). Extensive European touring continued to build a solid loyal following and they played the first ever privately promoted gig in Russia at the Moscow Sports Stadium to accompany ‘Peace in Our Time’ in 1988. In 1990 the band broke up for a while and Mark continued to do session work and ended up joining Fish while Tony played a session for The Pretenders' 'Back On The Chain Gang' single. When they reformed it was with drummer Pat Ahern for a short time until Chris Bell replaced Ahern after completing ‘No Place Like Home’ in 1991 (their first album to fail the top ten and a trend that was to continue). Drummers changed again (Simon Phillips) for the next album ‘The Buffalo Skinners’ in 1993 before Mark rejoined the group in 1994. Stuart relocated to Nashville in 1997 following the poor showing of ‘Without The Aid Of A Safety Net (Live)’ 94, ‘Why The Long Face’ 95 and ‘Eclectic’ 96. They reconvened in 1998 when they were invited to open for the Rolling Stones and played 18 shows in Europe. (Mick Jagger is quoted as saying they were “one of the best opening bands we have had". While on tour several new songs were written for another studio recording ‘Driving to Damascus’ and a single ‘Somebody Else’ was co-written by Adamson and Ray Davies of The Kinks. However Adamson’s alcohol and depression problems came to head when he briefly disappeared in November 1999, attracting much media speculation. ‘The Final Fling’ tour commenced in May of 2000 resulting in the live album ‘Come Up Screaming’. It was always Stuart’s intention to ‘rest’ Big Country while he explored other avenues with a new project, ‘The Raphaels’, (of which one live recording is known to exist) however fate stepped in and on December 16, 2001 he was found dead in a hotel room in Honolulu, Hawaii. He had been missing for several weeks from his Nashville, Tennessee home. The official verdict was suicide and lovers of fine music wept worldwide. Many adoring fans, friends and family members attended a memorial service on January 27th 2002 in The Carnegie Hall in his adopted hometown of Dunfermline. A clearly distraught Jim Leishman (manager of Dunfermline Athletic Football Club) paid tribute to his close friend by sharing some treasured memories and Richard Jobson / Bruce Watson performed an acoustic version of The Skids’ hit ‘Into The Valley’. A tribute concert was held on 31st May 2002 in The Barrowland Ballroom Glasgow including performances by Bill Nelson, Runrig, Midge Ure, Steve Harley, Dead Men Walking, The Vibrators, Damon Hill, Hugh Cornwall, a reformed Skids and both his children, Kirsten & Callum. Big Country were one of the most distinctive, passionate, entertaining rock bands of the 1980s and 90s. Stuart After the demise of Big Country Bruce was involved with many other projects including some guest spots such as with 'Waking The Witch'. He also joined the short-lived 'A Few Good Men' / 'Four Good Men' before rumours began that the remaining members of Big Country may play together again. As Bruce, Tony & Mark experimented with the notion of playing again, his services were required to assist in the 30th anniversary of his old pals The Skids by standing-in for Stuart. Rehearsals with both outfits were undertaken simultaneously with the Skids' performances on 4th/5th/7th July followed only two weeks later by the Big Country 25th anniversary reformation tour (commencing at The Garage in Glasgow on July 20th 2007) and new song showcase as Big Country attempt a permanent comeback. I'm indebted to Bruce Watson for a couple of corrections. "Many thanks Bruce".
Mark Strong (vocals) Dunfermline band. More info required please? Thanks to Honk for the info above.
Johnny Hutchinson - drums Brian Griffiths - guitar Of all the groups to come out of Liverpool during the beat boom of the 1960s, the Big Three were perhaps the most highly thought of locally. Although only a trio, they had one of the loudest sounds and this high volume level possibly helped suggest the group's name. Johnny Hutchinson and Adrian Barber had previously been members of a group called the Cassanovas who were led by Brian Casser (Casey Jones). They were in fact one of the very first beat groups to assemble on Merseyside. However, Casser departed soon after the arrival of bassist Johnny Gustafson and the original membership of the Big Three is generally recognised as the line-up above. However this line up did not last long. Like many of the groups of their day the Big Three made frequent trips to perform on the Hamburg circuit. It was during one such trip, shortly after the band's signing to Brian Epstein, that Barber decided to quit and stay on at the Star Club as stage manager. He was replaced by Brian Griffiths- a member of another popular Liverpool band, "Howie Casey and The Seniors", and one of the most accomplished guitarists ever to come out of Merseyside. The reason for Adrian Barber's departure is a matter of conjecture and folklore. It was this line up of Hutchinson, Gustafson, and Griffiths that went on to record. However, although their first release has subsequently become a collector's item, it was not well received and certainly bears little relation to the sound of their stage performance. In fact their recordings in general are not representative of what they were used to playing and this is the reason frequently quoted for their lack of success with singles. Certainly they didn't always see eye to eye with their manager. The group were too unconventional to become another Beatles or Gerry & The Pacemakers. Consequently, the relationship did not see out 1963 and personal differences between group members led to its break up shortly after. The band was brought together subsequently, largely through the enthusiastic efforts of Johnny Hutchinson and at times included members gleaned from other local groups including Faron's Flamingos and the Mojos. Another effort to put things back together was made in 1973 with Johnny Gustafson, Brian Griffiths along with the drums of Nigel Ollsen instead of those of Hutchinson. A re-release was made of "Some Other Guy" which was put out by Polydor together with an album - optimistically entitled "Resurrection". However, it was probably just too late by then and "The Big Three" remain one of the most interesting of the unfulfilled dreams ever to have come out of the Liverpool beat scene of the 1960s. Info courtesy of: www.45-rpm.org.uk 'The Big Three' was the first band Cilla Black sang with.
Brian Spence - guitar, keyboards vocals Peter Vettese - keyboards Bilbo Baggins were formed in November of 1972 by Dev, Colin and Brian. Fid joined later after being suggested by Tam. Tosh was the last to join after he left his previous band, he had lived around the corner from Brian for most of his life. The name for the band was actually put forward by Tam. At this stage their aim was to get a record deal and aim for success. Info courtesy of: www.spencemusic.co.uk
Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band Born Bernard Bilk on 28th January 1929 in Pensford Somerset, England, UK, Acker Bilk taught himself to play the clarinet during his National Service, much of which he served in Egypt. Despite the deficiency of one finger which he lost in a childhood tobogganing accident- allegedly then eaten by a dog- he became an unusually skilled player within a few years. The Paramount Jazz Band were formed in the West Country and were little more than amateurs in Bristol when they were given their first chance to record. Traditional Jazz was slowly becoming popular when Acker and the band's piano player, Dave Collett, wrote the instrumental 'Summer Set'. This came at just the right time to pick up the public interest that Chris Barber had stimulated a few months earlier and the Paramount JazzBand were able to enjoy a string of singles hits throughout 1960 and 1961. It also led to a stream of releases by Pye of recordings that the band had made a year or so earlier. However, the record that was to make Acker Bilk internationally famous was not Jazz at all. It was a tune that he'd originally entitled 'Jenny' in honour of his baby daughter, but after its adoption as theme for a TV series it became known as 'Stranger On The Shore'. The record only reached #2 in the listings, although it easily outsold most of the #1s of the time for it remained in the UK chart for more than a year. Acker also recorded a version with lyrics sung by Michael London, an interesting variation but now hard to find on any medium. Jazz sometimes suffers from elitism and Acker was criticised for recording 'non-jazz' with strings. However, as he pointed out- those that go to his concerts to hear him play have to listen to Jazz. Traditional Jazz remained popular with 45-rpm buyers for only the first half of the 1960s though the bands that played it remained popular stage and club acts. Acker's unit was no different and remains on the Traditional Jazz scene, sometimes in the company of his former rivals- Ball and Barber, occasionally playing with veteran blues singer George Melly. He still plays his remarkable 'Stranger On The Shore'- the tune he now calls his 'old age pension'. Info courtesy of: www.45-rpm.org.uk
Pat Kelly - vocals Dunfermline rock band, active around the late 70s/80 who released a single in 1980, 'Hero' / 'Walking On The Water' on Sandy Muir's 'No Bad' label. Kip McBay & Pat Kelly were both ex 'Joe's Diner' while Kip McBay had also worked with 'Monolug'. They later founded 'Sound Control' (The UK’s biggest supplier of musical instruments and equipment). Pat is now its Managing Director, while Kip is with rival firm 'Guitar Guitar'. They performed around central Scotland and supported Girlschool at the ballroom on Sunday 6th July 1980. Tony Duffy and Chic Clark also worked with Bad News and Tony Duffy was with The Sapolas. Thanks Tony!
Tommy Bishop once had a little known beat group called 'Tommy Bishop's Ricochets' who released a 7" single 'I Should Have Known' / on The Other Hand' (1965) on Decca. Info from: The Tapestry Of Delights by Vernon Joynson.
Tich Frier Popular folk harmony trio from Edinburgh, active mid 60s to 72?
Bill Black (Trio / Broadcast Band) For more than fifty years Bill Black & his various bands have entertained with their take on traditional Ceilidh, Old Time & Scottish Country Dancing. He appeared at the ballroom with both his 'Trio' and 'His Broadcast Band'. They are based in Perth Scotland and are always in great demand for all manner of social events where people love to dance. To supplement their many live performances they have also produced many CDs and played on radio.
Jon Raven The Black Country Three were a folk trio from Wolverhampton. They released a eponymous album 'The Black Country Three' in 1966. It is now often considered to be one of the rarest Transatlantic albums.
Alan Price The Black Diamonds were a blues & skiffle group from the north-east of England active from the mid 50s and included a young Alan Price at one time.
Philip McLeod - vocals, rhythm guitar Tommy Dene - vocals The Blackhawks were largely a guitar-based covers band from Montrose. Formed in 1963 they supported many other acts such as Cat Stephens & the Bee Gees. They won the first heat of the Tayside Sound Competition held at The Palace Theatre Dundee and often played at the Top Ten Club there. Their manager (Tony Fortunato) also managed the Locarno Ballroom in Montrose where they were resident for a while. Later, around (February 1966) Tommy Dene, of Tommy Dene & The Tremors, replaced Philip McLeod and they began a residency at the Raith Ballroom in Kirkcaldy, taking over from the Andy Ross Orchestr |
